Adjustable name-holder.



'PATBNTED OCT. 16, 1906.

H. SAMPSON. ADJUSTABLE NAME HOLDER.

PPLIO I01! 1' LED 1 HARRISON SAMPSON, OF COLEMAN, MICHIGAN. ADJUSTABLENAME-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed November 26, 1806. Serial No. 289,124.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON SAMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residin at Coleman, in the county ofMidland an State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable N ame-Holders, of which the following is a specification. 1

The obj ect of my invention is to provide an im roved holder for lettersdesigned particular y to designate the names of parties residing alon arural free-delivery route, so that each mail-box of the respectiveparties may conveniently show the number of the route and the name ofthe householder owning the mail-box to which my device is applied.

The invention consists, essentially, of a referably metal plate designedto be secured by nails, screws, or the like to a rural freedeliverymail-box, said late bein provided with opposite inturne flanges orming aguideway into which letters and other char-' acters may be independentl,slid, so as to be presented in a conspicuous tp ace, and a wedging orspacing strip, pre erably of springsteel or similar resilient material,designed to be inserted between the face of said plate and the back faceof the letters after the letters have been inserted, so as to retainthem securely in place against accidental displacement, while at thesame time permitting the letters to be withdrawn and others substitutedwhenever desired.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which t Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe device. Fig. 2 is a similar view with part broken away. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary viewillustrating one end of the spacing bar or wedge. Fi 5 is a longitudinalcentral section of the device on a reduced scale.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followin descriptionand indicated in all the views 0? the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 vided near each end with a nailor screw ole 2, by which it may be conveniently fastened to a ruralfree-delivery mail-box or the like, said plate being also provided at tobottom with inturned flanges3, as s own. The plate 1 is rovided betweenits ends with a longitudinal y-extendin 4, which is bounded at eac endwith a transversely-extendin ridge 5, preferably struck up from themetal when the plate 1 is formed.

The plate 1 constitutes a holder in which independent wood or metalletters 6 may be inserted from either end, said letters containing thenumber of the route and the name of the party owning the mail-box. Aftersome of the letters have been inserted into either end of the plate orholder 1 a spacing-strip or wedge 7 is inserted behind the letters andinto the depressed portion 4, whereby to exert pressure upon the backfaces of the letters to press them firmly against their retainingflanges3, and the remaining letters are then slid into place. The spacing-stripthus constitutes a pressure-bar, and to effect this functionsatisfactorily it is preferably sli htly curved in cross-section, asshown, wit its two projecting edges lying against the back faces of theletters. The ridges .5 provide stops to limit the movement of the spacinor pressure bar 7 in either direction after it as een properly inserted,and by this means all of the letters are properly retained in place andare secured against accidental displacement. Preferably the spacingstrip or bar is beveled at its ends, as shown at 7, sq that it may beconveniently inserted back of the letters and fit snu 1y against one ofthe rid es against whic it abuts. It is to be un erstood that theletters or characters may be raised, if desired, and either painted ornot painted, according to taste.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A deviceof the character described comprising a plate having inturnedlongitudinal ed es constituting retainin -flanges and provided with alonitudina ly-extending depressed portion an with transverse ridges atconstituting a-hol er for the insertion of letdesignates a preferablymetallic plate ro-- depressed portion each end of said deipressedportion, said plate a and ICO

ters or the like, and a sp g spacing-bar de- In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature signed for insert onjn saidi epress .pertieninpresenceof two witnesses.

back ofthe letters whereby to' brace them against the retaining-flan es,the ends of said HARRISON SAMPSON V I 5 strip abutting against sairidges whereby to Witnesses:

secure the stop against accidental longitudi- EUGENE BENNETT; naldisplacement. e W. SIMONs.

